NJ Recreation and Park Association
Facility Design Award 2018
CME Associates prepared conceptual layouts and final designs plans for Essex County's newest park located on 77 acres in the Township of Cedar Grove. The construction of the new park was completed in December of 2016. The amenities constructed within Cedar Grove Park include: the Robert J. O'Toole Community Center – a 5,600 square foot Rural Farmhouse Style Building with seating capacity for over 150 people including bathrooms and kitchen facilities, a 14,0000 square foot playground with areas for children 2-5 & 5-12, covered seating areas, bocce courts, over 1.5 miles of asphalt walking paths with pathway lighting, picnic tables, pedestrian bridges, benches, water fountains, exercise stations and a gazebo. A new traffic signal was installed at the intersection of Fairview Avenue and Smith Drive to provide signalized pedestrian connectivity throughout the park. Utilizing the former site of the Essex County Hospital Center Complex this project reclaimed an underutilized area of land which housed abandoned structures and debris for years and transformed the location into a new magnificent recreational facility for all of the pubic to enjoy. CME Associates worked with Essex County Parks and Engineering Departments to develop three dimensional architectural renderings for all elements of this new park facility with multiple views prior to final design and construction for the public to visualize the proposed improvements. After the completion of the Design Phases of the project, CME Associates performed Construction Administration Phase Services to facilitate and realize the expedited construction schedule for the County of Essex.